Lake Placid Blues

At the time I was too young for the meaning
But it's become much clearer through the years
We gathered 'round the boy in his army clothes
Said goodbye and his mother shed her tears

Everyday she watched for the postman
But the long awaited letter was overdue
It's not the silence that makes you crazy
It's the sound of a heart breaking in two

Then it came across the ocean
It was hard to understand the awful news
I don't know why I still remember
I guess it's just
Lake Placid Blues

I turned eighteen and left that part of the country
I went down on the Padre Island coast
Of all the hard times I still remember
The repossession of the guitar hurt the most

The paupers stood in line outside the mission
And I huddled there beside them in the rain
A priest came to the door with empty eyes
I could see he no longer felt their pain

Some were searching for forgiveness
And others only wanted food
I needed more than I could ask for
There is no comfort with
The Lake Placid Blues

It's hard to find good friends in a lifetime
You can usually count 'em on one hand
I shivered by the fire and the dawn was breaking
And I scattered his ashes on the sand

And the silver cranes flew over in formation
In a sacred manner the flew
And I will always remember
The sky... was Lake Placid blue